1. Field
An embodiment of the present invention relates to an exposure method using an exposure apparatus for producing micro devices such as flat panel display devices, e.g., liquid-crystal display devices, an exposure apparatus for carrying out exposure by the exposure method, a photomask used in the exposure method, and a method of manufacturing the photomask.
2. Description of the Related Art
A projection exposure apparatus for projecting a pattern of a mask (reticle, photomask, or the like) through a projection optical system onto a plate (glass plate, semiconductor wafer, or the like) coated with a resist is used, for example, in production of semiconductor devices, liquid-crystal display devices, or the like. The projection exposure apparatus (steppers) have frequently been used heretofore to effect full-field exposure of a pattern of a reticle in each shot area on a plate by the step-and-repeat method. U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,331 discloses an exposure apparatus of the step-and-scan method having a plurality of partial projection optical units arranged in a direction perpendicular to a scanning direction and arranged at predetermined intervals and in plural rows along the scanning direction, instead of one large projection optical system, and effecting exposure of patterns of a mask on a plate by the respective partial projection optical units with scanning of the mask and plate and a plurality of partial projection optical units used are optical systems for effecting erected, normal image therein. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,512,573 discloses that the magnification of the projection optical units is 1.1× to 1.5× or more and is the enlargement magnification of 4× in examples.